I read this over the summer, and although I immediately wrote a review, I did not publish it.  It was harsh.  This author, Kristin Cashore, actually got me mad, and I’m not the only one bothered by this book.  I have read many reviews from people complaining of the same thing.  This is not a kid friendly book, as it is supposed to be.  It sends the wrong message to children.

The first half of the book was great.  I actually loved the two main characters and their coming romance.  The female lead is a strong, trained killer, yet she had a feminine side to her.  I say had, because all of that changed suddenly around the middle of the book.  I was reading this late at night and put it down, because I suddenly disliked and couldn’t relate to the character.  I even thought she had been drugged or something.  There had to be an explanation for her sudden crazy actions.

When she realized there was a chance she could like the man she was traveling with, she took all of her clothes off and jumped into a freezing stream and swam laps.  She basically freaked out and went crazy.  By this time, she had already chopped all of her hair off and started acting differently than in the beginning of the book.

The idea of love and marriage was not an option for her.  (Remember, this is targeted at children.)  So, what was the solution?  Casual sex.  Both the man and woman agreed to this.  This book portrays love and marriage as weak and negative, but casual sex is good.

What?!  Forgive me, but what was the author thinking?  At least the couple used a potion to keep her from getting pregnant.

I don’t know if this author went through a divorce in the middle of writing this novel or what, because the beginning showed promise of a great teen romance.  However, by the end of the book, I felt like the author had an anti-love and marriage agenda.

I’ve read many other reviews about this book.  (It is a big seller.)  I’ve even read reviews written by feminists that are upset with the way the author portrayed feminists, as if they all cut their hair off and don’t wear dresses.  Although this book is getting great reviews by some, it’s also getting negative reviews for the same reason as I’m giving one.  By the end of the book (targeted at children), you walk away feeling as if the author was pushing a hidden agenda on you.  It was supposed to be a romance, yet it was loveless and weak.

My children were out of school on Monday and Tuesday, so we headed to South Georgia to visit Alissia’s hometown of Jesup.  We stayed at my mother’s house, along with my sister and her youngest children.  Not only was it my mom’s birthday on Sunday, but one of my nephews also.  It was the perfect weekend with my family.  I even got to see my oldest nephew for a short moment as he stopped in town on his way back to college in Virginia.

My sister accompanied me to my speaking engagement at the public library on Saturday, and my aunt surprised me with her presence.  Since I teach ESL, I’m used to standing in front of people, talking and answering questions.  I love to talk, and public speaking fits my personality perfectly.  I enjoyed meeting everyone and hope to read something one day from those interested in becoming an author.

Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of doing a book signing at Coastal Manor in Ludowici.  Not only did I get to meet some of my readers, but my mother was by my side, and I enjoyed our time together.  (I believe my mother is my biggest fan.)  The people at Coastal Manor have been very supportive of my writing, and I am grateful to them for their kind words.  My mother is very blessed to know each of them.

Dazzling Designs and Tanning in Jesup still has some copies for sale, and I also left some with my mother, if you don’t like to order from online.  Otherwise, you can find Unexpected Metamorphosis at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and all other main book sellers.

As with any time I spend with my family, there’s always a funny story to tell.  (I could write many books on the crazy things we do when together.)  My sister was installing a dishwasher for my mom while I was in the shower, trying to get ready for the book signing.  She cut the power off, and the water soon stopped.  I had to spend fifteen minutes standing in the shower freezing, with shampoo in my hair and eyes.  Needless to say, I promised my sister I would be murdering a red head in one of my future novels, and I won’t show any mercy!

I don’t get to see my family often, and my busy life easily gets in the way of our relationship.  While this weekend built memories I will never forget, it also reminded me of how important family is.  As I’m nearing another birthday, I can’t help but remember that our time here on earth is limited, and we should cherish the family we grew up with.  They’ve put up with us and loved us the longest 🙂

I left my camera, and this was my sister’s attempt with my iphone 5, still not good. 

My mother and biggest fan.

Thought I’d give all my readers a quick report of where I am on my work in progress.  I’m at 25,500 words and am at a big scene I’m eager to type out.  Unfortunately, I have a pile of emails that I’m behind on, a stack of interviews I haven’t filled out, the cover designer is waiting for my response, and I haven’t even begun to pack for this weekend’s two book signings.

On the personal side of things, the past two weekends were filled with a large birthday/slumber party at my house and travel to Mississippi for my husband’s high school reunion.  I still have two children with birthday parties coming up, and I have a stack of papers and emails from the schools with events and volunteer information.

This weekend and the first of next week, I won’t be around a computer much, and my phone does not get service where I’ll be staying.  Since I won’t be online much, I thought I’d let you know that I’m still working on the next book in the Alissia Roswell series, and next week I plan to focus on getting a newsletter out with a sneak peek.  Be sure to sign up for the newsletter by clicking on the link in the menu at the top of this page.

If you have already read Unexpected Metamorphosis, please click here to leave a review on Amazon.  You don’t have to have purchased the book from them to leave a review.  You just have to have read it.  If you’re a member of Goodreads, please leave a review there as well.  They are very important for a début novel, and it only takes a moment to type one out.  They don’t have to be long and detailed.  You can just let others know you liked it.  You can also become a fan on Goodreads to show your support.

Stay tuned for that sneak peek in the newsletter, and thanks for all your support.

I often get asked why I chose Jesup, Georgia, as Alissia’s hometown. To me, there was no other choice. She needed to have knowledge of living off the land. I didn’t want that to be a foreign concept for her, and Jesup is the one place I know she would learn how to hunt, fish, frog gig, and beach seine. How do I know this? Because that’s where I learned how to do all those things.

Unlike Alissia, I was not raised in Jesup, nor did my father teach me those things, except fishing. I have family there and have visited the town my entire life. Having moved around for the majority of my life, I have lived in many places, yet Southeast Georgia holds the most outdoor culture.

From pulling potatoes out of the ground to pulling nets from the ocean, you can do it all near the Georgia coast. The land is full of wildlife. I have memories of raking for crawfish to use for catching catfish in the deep, black-water ditches. Not only were those ditches filled with fish, but moccasins and gators were abundant also. (And those blasted yellow flies!)

Alissia’s memories of beach seining on Jekyll Island were my memories, as were the alligators and frog gigging. Since I threw her into a reality filled with nature, I wanted her to have a past filled with that lifestyle. She couldn’t be squeamish. She needed to come from Jesup. I guess the words to Hank William Junior’s old song comes to mind when I think of Jesup. “A country ‘girl’ can survive.”

This post will surprise most of the people who know me now, living outside of Atlanta. I don’t fish or hunt anymore, but the memories are there. I still have my hunting guns locked away. Who knows? I may use them again one day.

If you’ve never been to Southeast Georgia, I suggest you visit Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Savannah at least once in your life. There’s plenty of fresh seafood and lots to do and see while there. The locals are friendly, and you’ll love their accents. Who knows? You may not want to leave.

As a reminder, I will be in Jesup this Saturday at the library from 12:00 – 2:00 for a book signing.  I will also be in Ludowici on Monday at Coastal Manor from 2:00 – 4:00.  Hope to see some of you there 🙂

This was taken in 1995 on the first day of hunting season, but I didn’t get a deer that day.

In 1997 I killed my first deer (got three that weekend). This was in middle Georgia, not Jesup.